José Padilla, a Chicago gang member once accused by the Bush administration of plotting a radioactive bomb attack, was sentenced by a US court yesterday to 17 years and four months in prison for supporting terrorism. He and two co-defendants were convicted in August on charges of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people abroad, conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism and providing material support for terrorism.

All three had faced a maximum sentence of life in prison. Co-defendant Adham Hassoun was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison and Kifah Jayyousi was sentenced to 12 years and eight months. Mr Padilla, a Muslim convert turned al Qaeda recruit, was detained in a high-profile case and initially accused of wanting to detonate a radioactive, or "dirty," bomb in a US city.

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